Red and Black Hockey

On Thursday afternoon, the Hurricanes signed their 2008 second round draft pick Zac Dalpe to a three-year entry-level contract. The 20-year old forward has decided to forgo his final two years at THE Ohio State University after the Buckeyes were eliminated from the CCHA playoffs. Dalpe led the team in goals (21) and points (45) this season and was a first team all-conference selection.
The Paris, Ontario native has been assigned to the Albany River Rats of the American League, where he will play the balance of the season and Calder Cup playoffs on an Amateur Tryout Contract. He will join the Rats on the road at Binghamton on Sunday night and will presumably be added to the team’s final roster.

I’m not very familiar at all with the intricacies of the American League’s rules about the “Clear Day” rosters that they submitted on March 10. My understanding is that this is to prevent parent clubs from stacking the rosters of their AHL teams and that there are few exceptions allowed. If there are injured players on the “clear day” roster, they can be replaced by players from the “resident list”. This verbage is kinda goofy, but I understand the “resident list” to be something akin to the “black aces” that NHL teams use in the Stanley Cup playoffs. These are players who practice with the team and are on an approved list. This resident list, if I’m right, consists of three reserve players. There’s also a provision for players like Dalpe, who have signed Amateur Tryout Contracts and whose College (or juniors) seasons have ended.

Tim Conboy and Jiri Tlusty are both on the Clear Day list, and both currently have injuries. Conboy is suffering from concussion symptoms and has been out since February 5. Tlusty has an undisclosed injury and has been out since February 15. He’s close to rejoining the team, but Conboy is not. On the Rats 22-man Clear Day list, there are two goaltenders: Justin Pogge and Justin Peters. Pogge suffered a “lower body injury” on March 12, and there’s no known timetable on his return. Peters is with the Canes, but in the unlikely event that the Hurricanes qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, he won’t be available to the Rats. Unless, of course, Cam Ward is back in action. But that’s not the point here. The point is to assume that the Hurricanes do not make the playoffs. Peters would be good to go, but if Pogge can’t play, there’s going to be a strange situation in goal. Mike Murphy has a hand injury and and isn’t likely to return to the lineup this season. Mike Morrison is healthy, but their only other goaltender is Parker Van Buskirk from the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. He’s only ever played in 23 ECHL games, and his numbers are not very good.

A strange angle to this is that Manny Legace has a two-way contract. I don’t know if AHL rules would allow him to fill the place of the injured Pogge, or if it has to be a player who has been with the Rats. If it’s legal for them to use Legace as an injury replacement, that would be brilliant.